Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Terrace

For one person, living costs are similar in Nosara and in Terrace: $1,839 and $1,887 a month, rent and utilities included.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Terrace
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Terrace Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Terrace

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,887

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Terrace

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nosara and in Terrace actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,887 in Terrace, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Terrace $1,887

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,853 in Terrace, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Terrace $2,853

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $3,819 in Terrace, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Terrace $3,819

Nosara is about 3% cheaper than Terrace, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Terrace sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Terrace by 40%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$17.53 CA$24.78

-29.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$79.9 CA$113

-23.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$9.87 CA$13.95

-23.81%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.93 CA$5.55

12.21%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 ₡780

$2.09 CA$2.95

-16.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.62 CA$2.29

-19.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$5.19 CA$7.34

-36.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$6.15 CA$8.69

-27.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.25 CA$3.19

-30.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.63 CA$3.72

14.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$5.10 CA$7.21

-50.78%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.60 CA$5.10

-0.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$8.81 CA$12.45

-15.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$15.36 CA$21.71

-31.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$13.51 CA$19.10

3.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$4.06 CA$5.73

-42.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.21 CA$1.72

33.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.99 CA$4.23

60.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$3.67 CA$5.20

-56.13%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$3.14 CA$4.44

21.02%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$3.13 CA$4.43

17.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.37 CA$3.36

-52.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.01 CA$1.43

163.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$11.27 CA$15.94

-54.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$13.44 CA$18.99

47.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.09 CA$2.96

38.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.78 CA$2.52

103.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.38 CA$1.95

-18.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$31.40 CA$44.40

131.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.30 CA$4.66

-35.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.50 CA$2.12

4.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$20.03 CA$28.31

-57.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.22 CA$1.72

24.59%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$27.8K CA$39.3K

-22.28%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$18.7K CA$26.5K

84.36%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$93.2 CA$132

3.27%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$38.92 CA$55.0

-7.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$58.3 CA$82.5

-8.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$40.14 CA$56.7

78.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$16.45 CA$23.26

112.22%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$8.91 CA$12.60

-11.45%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$494 ₡221.6K

$733 CA$1,037

-32.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$13.4K CA$18.9K

-11.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$36.65 CA$51.8

47.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$30.29 CA$42.82

82.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$79.8 CA$113

-2.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$104 CA$147

-23.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$992 CA$1,402

-20.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$845 CA$1,194

-5.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,556 CA$2,200

153.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,325 CA$1,874

7.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$4,127 CA$5,835

67.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$3,426 CA$4,843

-64.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$3,096 CA$4,376

-72.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.05

70.69%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Terrace: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Terrace

$845 44.8% 6.4% $51

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Terrace

$364 19.3% 3.2% $11

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Terrace

$270 14.3% 27.5% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Terrace

$191 10.1% 2.6% $4.7

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Terrace

$113 6% 6.1% $7.4

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Terrace

$58 3.1% 33.6% $29

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Terrace

$48 2.5% 45.2% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $992 in Terrace. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 258% higher in Terrace, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $80.0 in Terrace. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $364 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇦 Terrace

🕒 Local time

07:59 7:59 AM

06:59 6:59 AM

1 h behind Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

19,443

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Terrace 6,220 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Terrace

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Nosara vs Terrace: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,887 in Terrace – roughly 3% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $2,831 in Terrace. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nosara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 131% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $733 in Terrace. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Terrace at $1,887. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Terrace it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,839 in Nosara to $1,887 in Terrace. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Terrace makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.